A rapid and convenient technique for measuring the rate of protein synthesis in tissues by injection of [3H]phenylalanine.
A rapid procedure for measuring the specific radioactivity of phenylalanine in tissues was developed. This facilitates the accurate determination of rates of protein synthesis in a wide range of tissues by injection of 150 mumol of L-[4-(3)H]phenylalanine/100 g body wt. The large dose of amino acid results in a rapid rise in specific radioactivity of free phenylalanine in tissues to values close to that in plasma, followed by a slow but linear fall. This enables the rate of protein synthesis to be calculated from measurements of the specific radioactivity of free and protein-bound phenylalanine in tissues during a 10 min period after injection of radioisotope.
D000818:Animals; D007700:Kinetics; D008239:Lysine / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008722:Methods; D010649:Phenylalanine / Q000378:metabolism*; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D013912:Threonine / Q000378:metabolism; D014316:Tritium
D014316:Tritium; D013912:Threonine; D010649:Phenylalanine; D008239:Lysine